LA 159879: A Late Archaic/Early Agricultural Period Site in the Mimbres Bolson, Near Deming, Luna County, New Mexico

LA 159879: A Late Archaic/Early Agricultural Period Site in the Mimbres Bolson, Near Deming, Luna County, New Mexico

County:

Luna

Date of report:

2015

Date of project:

2011

Type of project:

Excavation

County:

Luna

LA number(s):

159879

Project number:

41.928

Project name:

Deming

Subject:

Late Archaic/Early Agricultural–period base camp, where occupants exploited both wild and domestic plant species growing along the floodplain of the Mimbres River. Notably, cotton pollen was identified beneath a ground stone artifact associated with an ephemeral structure; the most accurate dates recovered for the structure were between 897 and 774 cal BC (2 sigma). This indirect date for cotton is consistent with early cotton dates in southeast Arizona and may currently be the oldest evidence of domesticated cotton in New Mexico. Radiocarbon dates for the corn remains are 758–429 cal BC (2 sigma).